Wire-fence-stretching device.



PATENTBD SEPT. 5, 1905.

J. HARRIS. WIRE FENCE STRETOHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT 12, 1904.

Aucnsw a mum: m vnoru uvwlmus wunmuvou u. c

UNITED STATES PATENT or uon.

WlRE-FENCE-STRETCHING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

Application filed September 12,1904. Serial No. 224,221.

To all whmn it 71mg concern.-

Be it known thatl, JONATHAN HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Uuyahoga, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vire-Fence-Stretching Devices, of which I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention has for its objects to provide means for stretching wire fence in the field as it is applied to the posts, and its more particular object is to provide a separate means for adjustment for each line or running wire fence, whereby the requisite tension can be brought upon the separate wires to straighten them and bring the picket or stay wires to an approximately vertical position when the fence is upon even ground or also if there should be any irregularity in the length of the running-wires.

The invention consists in the straining-bar and wire-holding devices and tackle mechanism having a plurality of points of purchase upon the bar and in the details of construction and combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure] is a side elevation of the device, showing the stretching device in use upon the fence, the wire holders, straining-bar, and purchaseblocks. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the ire-holders. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the holder on line a a, Fig. 2; and Fig. l is a transverse section of straining-bar, showing the Windlass over which the straining rope or chain is passed. Fig. 5 is a view of the dog of the wire-holder 0n the reverse side to Fig.

1n the views, 1 is the wire fence. 2 is one of the corner-posts, around which the end of the fence is wrapped as fast as it is stretched. 3 is the straining-bar, which is vertical and is provided with as many bell or conical shaped openings at as there are running-wires in the fence. Through these openings are inserted the eyebolts 5, upon the threaded portions 6 of which are placed nuts 7, which cover the small ends of the openings 4 and bear upon the metal plate 8 to obtain the necessary resistance, the bar 3 being made of a lighter, and therefore more portable, substance, as wood. (Jhain-links 9 are attached to the eyes of the bolts 5, and the wire-holders 10 are secured to the last link. These holders are shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3. Here each metal holder 10 is seen to be provided with the guide table or channel 11 to receive the strand of wire. Above this guide is pivoted at 12 the eccentric dog 13, which has the serrated curved edge 14:, adapted to engage the wire and press it down upon the table 11. The greater the pull upon the wire the greater will be the gripping action thereupon of the dog, since the eccentric curve of the serrated edge will cause it to bite deeper into the wire. A lever 15 is extended above from the dog, by means of which it can be released from the wire when desired. \Vhen the lever is depressed, the serratcd edge is raised above the wire, so that the wire can readily be introduced from the side underneath the dog; but a low flange 16 on the outer side of the dog overhangs the serrated edge and the outer edge of the table 11 and prevents the wire from escaping until the dog is again raised. A retaining -flange 17' on the edge of the guide-table assists this action. Each bar being securely held in its respective holder, the straining-bar is drawn forward to tighten the entire fence by means of the pulley-blocks 16 and 17 and rope 18 thereon. The tackle is shown in Fig. 1 to comprise blocks having two pulleys in one and three pulleys in the other. The outer pulley 17 is attached to a strongly-planted post 2 by means of the rope or chain 20, and theinncr pulley 16 is attached to two points on the straining-bar by means of the chain 21. The rope 18 after passing over the pulleys is wound upon the Windlass 22, mounted upon the center of the strainingbar, and is wound thereon by means of a crank 23 upon the Windlass-axle 24, thus providing a third point of purchase and greatly increasing the power by means of the crank. The free end of the rope is then caught in the angle between the hook 25 of the tackle-block 16 and a projecting horn or lug 26 thereon, thus fastening the rope in such a manner that it can readily be released.

It will be seen that when the fence has been brought to a tension and is ready to staple to the fence-posts it is possible by turning the nuts upon the eyebolts to release a wire under too great tension or to tighten another until the entire fence is smoothly tightened and every wire has exactly the right adj ustment.

I am aware that wire-stretchers have heretofore been employed; but I am not aware that any device having the efiiciency and practicability for general use in giving the desired tension to the individual and collective wires of a fence has ever been produced heretofore.

An important feature of the invention is found in the conical openings 4: in the strainingbar through which the eyebolts pass. which gives great freedom of movement to the stretcher and enables it to operate equally well even if it does not stand precisely vertical or becomes slightly twisted when the tackle is drawn taut.

A depression 18 in the guide-table 11 serves to bend or crimp the wire beneath the pressure of the dog 13, so that even without teeth or when the teeth are worn away it will be possible to retain the grip upon the wire as positively as before.

The Windlass 22 serves to give a point of purchase and power in drawing up the rope upon the pulleys and affords a third point of purchase upon the straining-bar 3, and thus serves the double purpose of increasing the strain upon the wire and of filling the longfelt want of a practical use for the end of the pulley-rope.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a wire stretcher, a series of wireholders, a similar number of eyebolts, flexible connections with said ,eyebolts for said wireholders, a straining-bar common to all said eyebolts, and having a similar number of conically-shaped openings through which said eyebolts pass, and nuts upon the threaded portions of said eyebolts adapted to bear upon the said bar at the small end of the conical openings, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an eyebolt and nut thereon, of links attached thereto, and a wireholder attached to said links, said holder comprising a base, a laterally-extending table or guide for the wire, a dog pivoted upon the base, and provided with an eccentric serrated edge, a flange upon said dog arranged to overlap said serrated edge and outer edge of said table when the Wire is caught underneath the dog and a recess in the upper surface of said table into which said wire is crimped and held by said dog from longitudinal movement, and a lever upon the dog, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this 30th day of August, 1904.

s JONATHAN HARRlS.

mar

lVitnesses:

GEo. S. COLE, WM. M. MONROE. 

